Between the lines
by QuiSuisJe
Summary: Olivia left him... Worse. Olivia left him without saying goodbye. Again. 39 days, 4 partners and about 173 unanswered calls later, Elliot got news from her for the first time.
1. Chapter 1 - The letter

**PLEASE READ ME**

 **Hi everyone ! So here is my second story. It was supposed to be a short oneshot but I changed my mind and recently continued it since I had nothing else to do…**

 **The story takes place in season 8 when Olivia is in Oregon. Unlike in the show, in my version, Olivia actually infiltrated the eco-terrorist group (I like to think she didn't go to Oregon for nothing T.T).**

 **I apologize again for my writing, I'm not an English speaker so I do my best to make it right but you probably will find mistakes. I'm sure I'll find a new sentence to add every once in a while, so I don't know how many times I'll edit it, but if you notify my mistakes I'll correct them** **:)**

 **SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU**

 **Friday, October 22**

It was 9pm when Elliot walked in his apartment that night. Today had been a tough day. Elliot thought he could chase away the new partner Cragen assigned him a week ago, like he did before with the 4 dumbasses who sat at Olivia's desk but this time was unsuccessful. His new partner Dani Beck was stubborn and wouldn't let him push her away. Elliot picked up his mail and sighed as he sat on his couch. He shook his head as he tried to chase away the vision of Dani in Olivia's chair when a strange envelope caught his attention. A letter from… Oregon? Did he know anyone in Oregon? Elliot opened the letter and his heart missed a beat when he recognized the handwriting of his best friend.

 ** _Hey El !_**

 ** _Wow, it feels weird to write to you. But I guess it's about time._**

"You're damn right it is" Elliot mumbled. He had been waiting for this for exactly 39 days. 39 days that he was worried sick, always wondering where his partner was, if she was okay, when or if she would come back.

 ** _Don't tell my big bro about this letter. You know how he is. Always keeping secrets. He doesn't want you or dad to know where I am. Or anyone else for that matter._**

 _Big bro… The feds of course_. They took his partner away and wouldn't give him any news. _Screw them for that._

 ** _I can't tell you where I am right now. Because 1) we're always moving so I don't know where I will be when you read this, and 2) well… I just can't. The things we do here for the cause need discretion._**

 _The cause? What cause?_ Elliot wonders. And who exactly are "we"?

 ** _I can't tell you a lot about it until it's over, but I can tell you we're on a big thing right now. You probably will see it on the news. At least that's what we all hope. The companies can't keep destroying forests. When they do that, they destroy lives. They need to understand that…_**

 _So this is what it is about_. Olivia was giving him a hint. She infiltrated some tree lovers' group. Elliot felt relieved. _Her life must not be in danger with people like that_ he thought.

 ** _I really miss you guys. I miss dad._**

 _Dad must be Cragen of course_. Having no father, Cragen was the closest of a father she ever had.

 ** _Of course it feels good not to be lectured when I do mistakes (and believe me, I do lots of them, my brother is not very happy with me right now), but at least at home I know that whatever I do, dad is by my side. He is probably mad at me for the way I left. I guess you are too… I'm sorry. Please don't let dad remove me from his will. I'll come back and make it up to him. To all of you._**

 _She doesn't want to be replaced. Figured_. Elliot felt bad reading that. Cragen introduced him to his first new partner not a week after Olivia left. He tried to imagine the look in her eyes when she comes back from her UC operation and sees an unknown woman at her desk. He couldn't let that happen. Cragen would probably kill him but he had to find a way to kick Dani out.

 ** _I miss Fin's street slang. I miss him teasing me and calling me baby girl. I miss the house._**

 _The precinct_. She spends so much time there it's like her second home. She wouldn't admit it, but Elliot knew that sometimes after a tough case, she felt better sleeping in the cribs than coming home in her empty apartment.

 ** _Damn I even miss uncle's coffee!_**

 _Uncle is Munch_. _No doubt about it. He is the only one old enough to be her uncle, and he also is the only one who can't make a decent coffee._

 ** _But don't you dare telling him. I also miss his crazy conspiracy theories. As much as I hate them, I miss them… And I miss you._**

Elliot felt like he just swallowed crushed glass. "She misses me, my ass!" he cursed. She misses him but she left without goodbyes and hung up on him after talking with Fin.

 ** _My friend Hope keeps asking about you. Well actually she keeps asking a lot about my life. She's very nosy. I'm sure you'd like her._**

Elliot's anger vanished and he started laughing. Olivia is the kind who wants to keep things for herself. But Elliot is very observant. He can tell when something bothers his best friend, or when a case gets to her. How many times did he ask her how she feels, and how many times did she push him away giving him a "mind your own business" glare?

 ** _You told me once that if I had to leave, you would pick up my mail for me and make sure I don't get robbed. I'm sure you didn't forget, and since you're always snooping around, I guess you already found the bills. Don't mind them._**

 _Don't mind them?_ Elliot got scared as hell when he discovered the hospital bill mentioning a concussion and god knows what else. He considered showing it to someone who could understand all this medical language but decided otherwise. Olivia would probably not be happy with him if he did. She wouldn't want anyone to know she got into troubles during her UC. When he found the second bill, a bill for a lawyer, he almost ran to the FBI but once again he decided otherwise. He was not supposed to have any contact with Olivia and even if he hadn't – until this letter – he didn't want to get her in trouble.

 ** _I'll make sure my dear brother takes care of them. He put me in this crap and I'm not gonna pay hospital or a lawyer for that. You'll never guess what happened… Ok, I tell you! We were pacifically protesting in the street with the group. A big company was polluting a river. The boss wouldn't give a shit. Screw him! Anyway, we were protesting when a cop hit me unconscious. Can you believe that? I really hate those pigs! Especially when they think they can use their power however they want._**

That's right. Olivia hates when a bother in blue abuses of his power because it gives bad publicity to their profession.

 ** _And to add insult to the injury, the son of a bitch arrested me for assault of a police officer. That's one of the numerous reasons why my brother is mad at me. One other is that I put my nose where I'm asked not to. I tried to convince myself I did it to exonerate my group because we were accused of murder but actually… well… what happens at home also happens here. It's following me. Can you believe that? What's bred in the bone comes out in the flesh. As you told me once, it's in my blood… So with all this mess, I have been quite busy lately. Otherwise, I'm good. Maybe I should have started there._**

 _The hell you are!_ But this is pure Olivia. Whatever happens, she's always good. And god helps whoever tries to suggest otherwise.

 ** _I even stopped caffeine and started something new. Hope calls it tea, I call it water with a leaf inside. Anyway, as I said earlier, we're on a big thing right now. I hope everything will be alright but to be honest I'm quite nervous (maybe because I'm in caffeine withdrawal). I feel things are changing, it will probably end in a few weeks. But I still have things to accomplish here._**

 ** _I gotta go now. Hope's calling me. I need to get ready. I don't think I will be able to write to you again because things are rushing now._**

Elliot had a little trouble reading her last words. The writing was hasty and trembling. He wondered if it was because Olivia was worried or because she was in a hurry. He had a bad feeling about it and started to be nervous. He didn't know why, but he felt like her partner was in imminent danger.

 ** _I'll see you very soon._**

 ** _Persephone_**

 ** _PS : don't do anything stupid like checking the address on the bills to find out where I am. I told you, we're always moving._**

 _Persephone? Of course!_ How could he not even think about it? On their last case together, Olivia infiltrated a presumed eco-terrorist group as a Persephone James. His presumptions that Olivia was safe with tree lovers vanished as soon as he recognized the name.


	2. Chapter 2 - What about Oregon?

Elliot quickly reread the letter, his bad feeling not leaving him and suddenly, something clicked in his head. He quickly got up and turned the 24/7 news on. He wanted to be sure he didn't miss something important. Like… apocalypse maybe? It was 3am when Elliot fell asleep in his couch, and when he woke up 3 hours later the news were still on. During his short night, he had all sorts of strange dreams. Olivia protesting in a street screaming "Stop torturing animals!". Olivia chained to a tree. Olivia beaten by a cop and screaming "Elliot! Help me!". That last nightmare was the one that woke him up. As he got cleaned and took a quick breakfast, he couldn't keep the thoughts about Olivia out of his mind. Was she in danger right now? Will the "big thing" happen soon? Did it already happen? One part of him wanted it to happen soon because the sooner it is, the sooner Olivia would come back. The other part of him didn't want Olivia to be in danger and hoped that nothing would happen at all. But if nothing happens, it means Olivia will have to wait until the next opportunity to catch the big bad wolf. And God knows when this next opportunity will be.

When Elliot entered the squad room, Dani was already working at her desk. No. At _Olivia's_ desk. When she saw him approaching, she smiled at him and greeted him with an enthusiastic "Hi Elliot!" But Elliot just ignored her. He didn't want her here and he wanted to make sure that she knew she's not welcome. Elliot just sat without even looking at her, turned his computer on and opened his emails. He felt Dani watching him but kept ignoring her until she finally spoke to him.

"You know, I thought I could go to the hospital and talk to our vic. She wasn't feeling well yesterday. She was worried about the lineup. You wanna come with me and talk to her?" Dani asked tentatively.

"No" Elliot answered coldly. Dani sighed, grabbed her coat and left. She knew she was Elliot's fifth partner in a short time and she could tell he was distant with her. She thought he didn't want to waste time to get to know someone who would leave him after a few days, like the other did. How wrong she was. She didn't know he actually wanted her to leave, just like the other did.

About one hour later, Dani was still not back. Elliot was working on a DD5 that Cragen kept asking while Munch and Fin were working a case. They were brainstorming to find a new lead on their case when Elliot interrupted them.

"Hey guys. Do you know if something important happened in Oregon lately?" Elliot asked.

"Important? Like what?" Munch wondered. He looked at Elliot, frowning like he wondered how he could come with a crazy idea like something happening in Oregon.

"I don't know. Just… something important enough to be on the news."

Like he read his partner's thoughts, Fin answered "Nothing ever happens in Oregon anyway".

"Well I don't know about Oregon" Munch added "but I heard Seattle wants to create a new professional hockey team". Fin raised an eyebrow at him. "What? I like watching hockey. I keep informed".

"Why do you ask that Elliot?" Fin asked, curious.

Elliot shrugged and went back to his DD5.

 **Meanwhile in Medford, Oregon**

Olivia was in the refectory chatting with her new friends. Sometimes she wondered how Hope got involved with such a group. Of course she had strong convictions about environment but she was such a sweet person that Olivia couldn't believe she was ready to kill for the cause.

"…and then I saw him throw an empty can on the ground. I stopped and I yelled at him 'Hey, can't you move your ass and walk ten feet to throw it in the bin?' And you know what he did? He laughed at me! He replied something like 'You can pick it up if you want. But if you're only looking for a reason to get on your fours, just ask me babe'. The prick!"

"Sexual harassment" Olivia mumbled under her breath.

"What did you say?" Hope asked.

"Uh, nothing. Just thinking out loud" Olivia shrugged off.

"You know you're a very strange girl Persephone" T-Bone teased as he stole one of her fries.

"Oh shut up" Olivia said elbowing him gently.

She didn't hear the footsteps approaching and jumped when she heard Jeff's voice on her back. Jeff was the leader of the group and he usually didn't join them for dinner. He spent almost all his days in his office, looking for a new battle to lead. When Olivia joined the group, she did her best to approach him. The feds wanted her to get as much information as possible and the best way to get them was to stay close to the source. So she quickly started flirting with him, playing the naïve admiring girl to boost his ego and it looked like he appreciated that.

"Persephone, we need to talk" he said with a very serious tone. The conversation at Olivia's table stopped as she left the table to follow him, and she could feel their eyes on her back.

"Sure, what's going on?" she asked, trying to hide her apprehension as Jeff grabbed her arm and led her to a corner of the refectory, out of earshot.

"After Tuesday's briefing, someone saw you leaving the building" Jeff informed her. He didn't look happy at all.

"Someone? You mean Dereck?" Olivia scanned the room until she found him at a table with his friends. He was watching her and Jeff. When his naughty eyes met hers, he grinned at her. Dereck was a hefty guy who kept hanging around her since she came in. He tried a move on her not 3 days after she joined the group but she rejected him. Since that day, he had been nothing but mean towards her and the hostility between those two was palpable.

"Where have you been? You know you're not supposed to leave the building. Certainly not now, certainly not alone, and certainly not with an envelope."

 _Shit. Dereck saw the envelope._ "Can't you ask your dog to stop following me?" Olivia asked as she felt the anger growing. She was sick of Dereck and she didn't want her cover to blow because of this guy. One day, he followed her in a coffee shop and saw her chatting with agent Porter. When he confronted her about the suit, she told him he was her lawyer. She never came that close to blow her cover and the next time she met Porter, she had no choice but to do it in a lawyer office.

"Answer my question. Where have you been?" Jeff asked again raising his voice.

"Alright. I wrote to my boyfriend". The lie came so easily that Olivia surprised herself.

"You never told me you had a boyfriend".

"You never asked" she provoked. She knew Jeff wouldn't be very happy about her having a boyfriend but she also knew he wouldn't confront her about it. After all, they were just flirting. It's not like they were dating.

Jeff made one more step toward her and they were so close that their foreheads were almost touching. But Olivia stood still and didn't blink. Jeff cupped her cheeks and murmured in her ear "If you double-cross us, I can tell you, you won't like what will happen to you". He looked at her in the eyes, smiled at her and added "What a waste it would be" before placing a soft kiss on her lips. He backed up, and gave her a last warning look as he left the refectory.

 **SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU**

 **That's it for now. Chapter 3 coming in a few days :)  
**


	3. Chapter 3 - The briefing

**1 week earlier - Medford, Oregon**

Olivia was waiting impatiently in a large hangar with her new "friends". Earlier this day, Jeff had summoned all of them for a briefing about what he called "the big final". Olivia had spent enough time with Jeff and his gunmen to know that they were setting a big operation but she didn't know exactly what yet. Ever since she joined the group, they never had settled more than 4 days in a row. Jeff made them follow an itinerary that started in Milwaukee and she figured Medford was the last stop because they had spent already 2 weeks in Medford, which was unusual for them.

"Attention please!" Jeff ordered. When the silence fell in the room, he resumed "So this is it. The big final. Most of you don't know what this is about but tonight, all of you are gonna get an assignment for this one last operation." At this statement, the crowd began to stir and whispers grew louder and louder.

"Yes, yes it's gonna be the last operation. I know you all want to do more for the cause, but after the big final, we will have to disappear for a while. If everything goes right, the whole country will hear about us. Which means that the cops will track us down. We are more than forty now so we obviously won't be able to stick together and move out like we did until then. But don't worry, my friends. This is not the end of our action. This is a temporary break, just the time that the situation chills out, and until it's safe for us to reunite again. But let's not talk about that right now. Right now, we need to focus on our big final. Me and my most trustful men have been preparing this for months now. For more security, I'm gonna split you on little units. You'll get the details you need by your commander and you're not allowed to communicate those details with anyone but your team and myself, is that clear?" Nods. "The big final will take place on November the 3, which gives us exactly 18 days to prepare. We need equipment, we need a flawless action plan, and you all need to find a place to settle right after it's over… Okay, so now everybody listen to their assignment. Team A…"

As Jeff started to call everybody one by one, Olivia looked around to try to memorize who was assigned to which team. She was relieved when she noticed most of her friends were reunited in the same team, but became nervous as time passed and she still hadn't heard her name. Had Jeff decided to exclude her from the operation?

"… And finally, I'll lead the team E. And I'll have Dereck, Angela, Persephone and Chen by my side. That's it. Remember that from now, everything you hear about the operation must not be communicated outside your team. Let's work!" As teams started to gather, Olivia met Hope's eyes and smiled at her. Hope smiled back and joined her team. "My team, follow me please". With those words, Jeff disappeared into his office, Dereck and Chen already on his heels. Olivia quickly joined them and took a seat next to the others, waiting for Angela to join in. She gave a look at her watch. 9pm! Damn it, she was supposed to meet Porter at 9:30.

As Olivia scanned the room, she wondered what those people could possibly have in common that would explain why Jeff mixed them together. From what she knew by the rumors and by the record Porter gave her about her comrades, Olivia knew that the members of the team C were all good with explosives. Surely, she should be with them since Persephone James was known for the actions she led in New York. She turned her head to Dereck. Surely, she had nothing in common with this one. This monkey was only good to follow Jeff like a dog and hang around, his big gun in his hand. Must be compensating for something… But of course Jeff would want his gunman with him for his big final. But Chen? Olivia barely knew Chen and wondered why Jeff seemed to trust him enough to take him in his team. Indeed, Chen joined the group only two weeks ago, when they settled in the city. Maybe Jeff wanted to keep an eye on him? As for Angela, Olivia knew she was a strong headed woman, obsessed with animal's rights. She used to witness horrible things when she worked for a chicken slaughterhouse years ago. The rumor said that one night, she had had enough so she opened all the cages and disappeared. From what Olivia knew about Angela, she could tell the rumor was true. Plus, she heard that story on the news 2 years ago. What help could she provide here?

"Nervous?" Dereck spout at her as he noticed Olivia zoning out.

"Speak for yourself" Olivia shot back, eyes narrowing.

"Enough!" Jeff ordered as Angela finally took place. Jeff closed the door behind her, cleared his throat and started to speak.

"Congratulations guys! You're part of the elite squad." Olivia smiled at that. She knew what an elite squad looked like and right now, the five of them looked nothing like an elite squad. Dereck met her gaze and she quickly swiped that smile off her face and turned her attention back to Jeff. "Our last target is nothing but the one and only Medtex pharmaceutical industry".

"You mean that building 3 blocks away?" Angela asked.

"This one" Jeff confirmed.

"So what is it gonna be?" Dereck asked, a little too enthusiastic. "A sitting? A break-in?"

"Are we gonna free the pigs they keep there for their tests like we did in that laboratory in Nebraska?" Angela asked. "That was awesome".

"Easy guys. We have enough work to deal with to care about that" Jeff said. When he was met by burning eyes from Angela, he added "that's what the other teams are for". As Angela relaxed, Jeff continued. "We, however, have more important business to deal with. We are going to meet the president of Medtex and… teach him life."

"The president?" Olivia asked confused. "How are we gonna do that?". That sounded impossible.

"Every one of you have been selected for this mission for a reason. You all have valuable assets that will be very useful that night". With those words, he licked his bottom lip and gazed at Olivia's breast. She crossed her arms uncomfortably and forced a smile. Then Jeff met Chen's eyes and sat as Chen got up.

"Okay" Chen spoke for the first time. "For those who don't know me yet, I'm Chen. And contrary to what you think, I'm not a newbie. I've been working here for Jeff for 3 months now." Olivia couldn't believe her ears. This operation was planned for longer than what she thought. "Well, officially I've been working for Andrew Harper, the president of Medtex, as a bodyguard. He trusts me now. I give him some piece of advice every once in a while, about who he should or shouldn't deal with. Every Wednesday night, when there is no one left in the office, he takes care of his uh… side activities. He is currently working on a new drug but the CDC didn't give him green light because the results are not good enough. Harper's losing money. He needs to move up a gear and take his experiments to the next level. So I convinced him to meet a guinea pig seller."

"… That would be you Angela." Angela nodded and Jeff continued. "Dereck, you'll watch the door. If necessary, Chen will introduce you as a security agent under his command. And I'll be Angela's bodyguard."

"What about me?" Olivia asked.

"You'll step in later. We can't burst in all in the same time. It would be too suspicious. First, Angela earns Harper's trust. When Chen, Angela, Harper and I will be alone in his office, we will subdue him. Then I'll stay alone with him to take care on him. That's when you make your appearance. You'll have a dozen explosives to make and Angela and Chen will help you place them. Our action will be all over the news." Jeff's evil smile gave Olivia goosebumps. "We're gonna give them the biggest fireworks they ever saw."

 **SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU**

 **It's not a chapter I really like, it was quite hard for me to write it but I wanted to put Jeff forward and introduce Angela and Chen. Next chapter in a couple days.**


	4. Chapter 4 - Tragic news

**Wednesday, November 3 – The precinct**

The whole unit was working late. A 4-year-old girl had been kidnaped earlier that day and the 1-6 had so many leads to follow that none of the detectives were expecting to be allowed to go home that night. Elliot who had spent the day trying to retrace the steps of the family before the girl was kidnapped, was now deeply focused on a videotape of the store where the girl was last seen.

"Damn, look at this Elliot!" Munch exclaimed, motioning the TV.

Elliot quickly left his desk and walked across the squad room. Detectives had already started to gather in front of the TV and were blocking the view so Elliot had to shove some of them to reach the screen. When he saw the smoke escaping from the building's windows, he felt like he got kicked in the stomach. A crowd had formed next to the building. Dozens of cops and medics. People running and crying. Down the screen, Elliot could read "BREAKING NEWS : terrorist attack against a pharmaceutical industry in Medford, Oregon. 29 people killed and 13 people injured".

"How could you possibly know something like that would happen?" Munch asked, almost like a reproach, like Elliot had anything to do with this.

"I didn't…" Elliot answered. He couldn't believe it. "Someone turn up the volume! Where is the remote?" He asked, agitated.

Cragen appeared in the squad room with the remote, a concerned look on his face, and he turned the volume up.

The young journalist was interviewing a forty-something-year-old man. "… driving in the neighborhood. There was a lot of people waiting outside the building. I thought it was weird of course, cause it was more than 10pm. I thought they were thieves or something like that so I stopped my car to tell them I would call the police. And then boom! I heard the explosion. God it scared the hell out of me! I called the cops right away of course…" Elliot was no longer listening. He was trying his best to scan the scene behind the journalist and her witness. _Where are you?_ Elliot wondered. _Come on, show yourself!_

A few feet away two policemen were trying to subdue a furious hefty man. When they walked past the journalist, the man faced the camera and shouted « I got the traitor! I killed the fucking cop! ». At this very moment, Elliot forgot everything about his case, everything about this kidnapped little girl, everything about… everything. Like the whole world had suddenly disappeared, leaving him in a complete darkness. Nothing mattered anymore. As his brain was taking in the news, the blood drained from his face, his throat tightened and he lost his balance. Munch and Cragen both caught him just in time to keep him from falling.

"Elliot what's going on?" Cragen worried. "You look like you're going to be sick. Come here, sit down". He gently led his detective to the nearest chair but Elliot was not listening to him. The man's voice was resonating in his head over and over again. _I got the traitor! I killed the fucking cop_. It couldn't be happening. "Olivia…" he whispered barely inaudible.

"Olivia?" Cragen repeated. "What about her?" he inquired.

When Elliot looked back at the screen, everybody's eyes followed his gaze. When they apprehended what Elliot's condition was implying, a deathly hush echoed in the squad room.

 **SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU**

 **If you didn't get it, the "furious hefty man" was Dereck.**

 **This chapter is very short but it's all about Elliot finding out about Olivia so there was nothing more to say for now. I'll give you more about what happened in the next chapter but… just a little more ^^**

 **I won't have much time to write this week-end so I'll update on Monday around noon hopefully (UTC +1)  
**


	5. Chapter 5 - Operation failure

**Earlier that night – Medford, Oregon**

 _That's it. I'm dead_ Olivia thought. She couldn't move, she could hardly breath, and she was surrounded with darkness. She was cold. She felt like she was crushed. She could feel cold, hard, sharp fragments digging into her skull. Was she buried alive? She was suffocating. When she tried to breath in, she felt dust filling her lungs and started to cough hard. Suddenly she heard voices.

"I need medics over here! There is someone under the rubble!". Olivia smiled. She was alive. She heard footsteps getting closer and stopping somewhere above her. "Hold on! We're gonna get you out of here!" Olivia whimpered and lost consciousness.

…

…

…

Olivia's head was pounding so hard that she thought it was going to explode. When she opened her eyes, she didn't recognize anything around her. She was in a small dark room with no other furniture than an occupied chair and the bed she was lying in. She tried in vain to get up but her body was hurting so much that she couldn't move an inch. She groaned as she felt a wave of pain running through her body, and the sleeping figure in the chair suddenly woke up. Olivia squinted and recognized Dean Porter as he approached her bed.

"Detective Benson. It's good to see you alive".

"It's good to be alive" Olivia retorted. "What happened? What am I doing here? Where am I?"

"Easy detective. You've been through a lot. Do you mind if I turn on the light?"

"No". At first, Olivia was surprised by that question, but when the light hit her retina, she understood and immediately closed her eyes. The sudden brightness only made her headache ten times worse. Even with her eyes closed, she could see the light through her eyelids. She tried to cover her eyes with her left hand but instead of her palm, she felt something hard hitting her head. She opened her eyes and discovered a cast on her arm.

"What-"

"One thing at a time" Porter cut her off. "What is the last thing you remember?"

"I don't know… It's kind of a blur."

"Do you remember the explosion?"

"What explosion?" Olivia asked, confused. She searched in her memories and suddenly remembered something. "Medtex. The big final. What happened?"

"A lot happened" Porter answered. He looked quite angry. "Something went wrong. The building exploded."

"What? How?" Olivia straightened up, ignoring the pain, and increasing her headache. She was now overwhelmed with flashbacks but nothing consistent enough to form memories.

"You tell me!" Porter snapped.

"You were supposed to arrest them before they blew up the building!" Olivia blamed him as the pieces started to stick up together.

" _You_ didn't give me the signal!" Porter spat. Olivia stared at him with open mouth. Finally, Porter slumped into the chair, defeated. "This operation is a failure..."

"You didn't catch Jeff?" she asked. _Don't tell me I endured all this for nothing_ she thought.

"Yes we did." For a second, Olivia felt relieved. But that was until Porter proceeded. "We caught almost every member of the EDG, but… I'm not sure it was worth it…"

"What do you mean?" Olivia inquired.

Porter sighted and walked next to Olivia. "Look… A lot of people died that night. Twenty nine to be precise. Some of them were members of the EDG, but there were also lab technicians who worked for Medtex, Andrew Harper and… a federal agent. Friend of mine. He was infiltrated in the group like you."

"You had another infiltrated agent in the group?" Porter nodded. "Who?"

"His alias was Mike Foster". Olivia's eyes widened in shock. Mike was a discreet man but he was very engaged with the cause. Always looking forward to the next battle. She would never suspect him to be a fed. "Mike? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Procedure". Olivia rolled her eyes. She knew to many cops who used this line as an easy way out.

"Wait… you said some members of the EDG died. Who?"

"Arthur Spencer, Marc Flint, Abdul Chekif, Marina Lopez, Burt Nozman, Heidi Kampf, and… Hope Abernathy." When Olivia didn't say a word, Porter continued. "Four of them died in the explosion. For some reason, they didn't wait until everybody had left the building… We found the bodies under the rubble. That's where we found you too. The others were shot. Mike was shot too. He was a good man. And a hard worker. He literally gave his life to the bureau."

"I'm sorry about your friend" was all Olivia could say. Her mind and heart were somewhere else. Every piece of information Porter gave her helped her remembering what happened that night. But the more she remembered, the more she wished she didn't. She kept seeing Hope's dead body in her arms.

"You were shot too. You were in a pretty bad shape when we found you. Well… you still are. The bullet broke your ribs. You have a broken arm, and it looks like you've been beaten. Or maybe it was the explosion."

"You don't know what happened?"

"I was hoping you could tell me. We have a general idea of what happened thanks to the evidence we collected but we have no statement. Nobody had talked so far. They're too devoted to Jeff. He lawyered up for all of them and ordered them to remain silent. Even the weakest link in the chain won't talk. I spent the last couple days trying to convince him to denounce Jeff".

Olivia frowned. "Couple days?"

"Yeah… You've been unconscious for 3 days. We have a doctor here checking on you every two hours."

"I'm not in a hospital?"

"No. The living members of EDG think you are dead. We'll keep it this way. We couldn't risk someone to see you in your hospital bed. As far as they're concerned, Persephone James is dead. As soon as we have your statement, you can go back to New York."

Olivia couldn't believe her ears. It was finally over. After everything she had been through, she was free to go home. She could be Olivia Benson again…


	6. Chapter 6 - Back home

**Thursday, November 11**

As soon as Olivia left the airport, she hailed a cab, put her suitcase in the trunk, and gave the conductor the address of the precinct. She was tired as hell but she couldn't wait any longer to see him. _Them_. Her coworkers and friends. She spent the entire ride looking through the window. She couldn't help but smile every time she recognized a street sign, a restaurant she liked, a familiar subway station… She was finally at home. Two blocks away from the precinct, she chuckled when she caught a glimpse of the restaurant where she used to eat with Elliot when they had a long enough lunch break.

"What's so funny?" the old driver asked, curious.

"Oh, uh nothing." Olivia answered shaking her head. "Just feels good to be home".

"Good for you" the driver said, winking at her through the rearview mirror. When he stopped the car at the address Olivia gave him, he raised an eyebrow and asked "that your home?" heading to the precinct.

"Exactly!" Olivia exclaimed, a genuine smile on her face. She walked out of the cab, picked up her suitcase, and stopped in front of the front door. She let out a huge sigh and muttered to herself "let's go". She walked through the front door, took the elevator, and as she pressed the button to her floor, she started to feel more and more anxious. She closed her eyes. "What if he… _they_ 're mad at me for the way I left?" she kept wondering. She shook her head to chase the thought away and opened her eyes when she heard the ding signaling the door's opening. She walked in the squad room, left her suitcase next to the door, and slowly made her way to the coffee pot where Elliot was standing. She stopped twenty feet behind his back, swallowed her apprehension and uttered « Hey stranger. Long time no see ». She tried to sound cheerful and smiled, waiting for him to turn around and look at her, which he didn't. As she stood there, waiting for Elliot to do something, anything, she could feel her heart pounding so hard she could swear it was trying to drop out of her rib cage to fly back to Oregon. After the longest five seconds of her life, she saw Elliot slowly dropping his cup, lifting his head, and slowly, awfully slowly turning around. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and smiled weakly at him, dreading for his answer.

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 _Hey stranger. Long time no see_. When Elliot heard her voice, he thought he was dreaming and his whole body froze. He would recognize this voice anywhere even if he had been deaf. But it couldn't be possible. Olivia was dead. Why would his mind trick him like this? But he heard her. He was positively sure he heard her. He closed his eyes for a second, trying to chase away any hope. _Olivia is dead_ he kept telling himself. But he had to check. He had to be sure. As he opened his eyes, he dropped his coffee down the table and turned around, slowly, fearing that if he made any abrupt movement, she would disappear. When he assimilated the vision in front of him, he felt his heart breaking into thousands of pieces. Olivia was standing there, twenty feet away. She had her left arm in a cast, a black eye, a split lip, and a few cuts on her face. God knows what other injuries she was hiding under her sweat suit, but he could tell just by the way she was standing unsteady on her feet, that she was injured and in pain. Despite that, he couldn't help but feel relieved. Olivia was _alive_! As the shock of the discovery overwhelmed him, he opened his mouth to say something but couldn't utter a word.

"It's good to see you" Olivia tried again, given that Elliot still had said nothing.

Elliot blinked a few times and managed to mumble "the news…" but then he was cut off by Dani.

She put her hands on his chest and said "Hey Elliot. Captain wants to see you." Elliot's eyes wandered from Dani to Olivia, then back to Dani, and back again to Olivia. His mouth open, he didn't have the words. "I'll take care of it" Dani added, motioning Olivia. When Elliot didn't move, she gently pushed him out of the way, towards Cragen's office. Dani glanced at Olivia's injuries, smiled at her and led her to the nearest seat. Olivia had no idea who the hell this woman was, but she hated her for ruining her reunion with Elliot. "Sorry about that" Dani said motioning towards Cragen's office. "I'm detective Beck, detective Stabler's partner. I think my partner is having an emotional breakdown so, I'll take it from here… Anyways, how can I help you?"

Olivia couldn't believe her ears. _Elliot's partner_? _Emotional breakdown_? She frowned as she felt her anger rise up. "Excuse me?" she spat. "Why would you tell me that? You don't even know me!"

Dani shifted uncomfortably on her seat. "Uhm, I just wanted you to excuse my partner for his strange behavior. He's not usually like this" she tried to explain.

"Well it's not your place to tell me about your _partner_ 's state of mind" Olivia exclaimed, louder than she intended to. She quickly got up on her feet, grabbed her suitcase, and left the bullpen, leaving a totally confused Dani at her desk. Her _own_ desk. Except it wasn't her desk anymore…


	7. Chapter 7 - Haunted

As she waited for the elevator to show up, Olivia felt her eyes burning. Her worst fears finally came true. She had been replaced. She had lost her job. Her best friend was not speaking to her any more. She didn't have a lot when she left New York, and now that she was back, she had nothing left. "How could it possibly turn so badly in less than three months?" she wondered. How could Elliot move on of their friendship so quickly? Of course it was because of this young doe with her blue eyes and blond hair. The way she put her hands on Elliot's chest… Olivia didn't like that. She didn't like that at all. Elliot was a married man for God's sake! At least, the divorce was not finalized. Or was it? He wouldn't even touch her when they were partners, always keeping reasonable distance between them, and now he let this woman touch him like he was her belonging. Was he dating her? Olivia wondered if this woman knew who she was. Had Elliot ever talked about her? Of course not. Why would he? She felt so stupid! Back in Oregon, Hope had told her that she kept moaning his name when she was unconscious at the hospital. Damn, in her letter, Olivia told him Hope kept asking about him! She was _stupid_! Stupid, stupid, stupid, stu…

She blinked when she realized where she was. One moment before, she was waiting for an elevator, and now she was standing there, in front of her building. She didn't even know how she ended up here. She has been so absorbed by her thoughts that she couldn't remember whether she walked all the way, or whether she took a cab or the subway. She entered her building and took the stairs, not wanting to wait for the slow elevator. When she finally reached her floor, she beat herself up, regretting her decision to drag her suitcase through the stairs. Her whole body was hurting. She was sore, she had cracked ribs, she was bruised everywhere but she couldn't wait for the damn elevator! Looking for her keys in her pockets, she glances at her mat and noticed there was no mail. Elliot did pick them. She entered her apartment, and quickly walked to her coffee table to check on her mail. She needed to know. She threw the envelopes one after the other until she found an opened one. The hospital bill, of course. She checked for the lawyer bill and noticed it was opened too. But it was not what she was looking for. She crossed her fingers, hoping he didn't open her letter and when she didn't find it she felt relieved. Then she remembered she hadn't sent the letter at her address but his. _Damn it…_

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 **Back at the precinct**

Elliot heard Dani's voice but it was like she was speaking underwater. He couldn't put his eyes off of Olivia or focus on anything else. When he felt Dani pushing him towards Cragen's office, he wanted to protest but couldn't. He felt like everything was moving slow motion, and without deciding any of it, his legs walked him to his captain's office, where he was expected. He knocked at the door and opened when he heard his captain shout "Come in!". He walked in the room, still confused with what just happened.

"Elliot… ELLIOT!" Cragen called him, trying to make eye contact while Elliot's eyes were staring at Cragen's desk lamp.

Elliot came back to reality, shook his head and looked at his captain. "Sorry cap, what did you say?" he asked.

Cragen stared at him for a moment, eyes full of concern. "I was telling you that you were due in court tomorrow in the morning for the Brovitch case… Are you ok?" he asked softly. "You're very pale". Cragen knew Elliot was having a rough time, dealing with Olivia's death. They all were…

Elliot looked through the window to see Olivia but she was nowhere to be seen. Had he dreamt it? He wasn't sleeping well since he heard the news. When he had the chance to catch a few hours' sleep, he had dreams or nightmares about Olivia. Sometimes she was sharing a meal with him at his desk, sometimes she was bleeding out on the concrete. _« I got the traitor! I killed the fucking cop »_. Maybe she was never there. Maybe he had imagined all of it.

"Elliot?" Cragen asked again.

"Uhm, actually cap I don't know. I'm not feeling well, and I…" he interrupted and looked again in the bullpen but there was still no sign of Olivia "… I need to check something… Get to the bottom of it… Can I have the day off?"

"Elliot what's going on?" Cragen asked more and more concern about his detective. Elliot never asked for a day off before.

"I'm not sure cap. But when I find out, you'll be the first one notified". Elliot said, gravity all over his face.

"Ok… you can leave for the day. But don't forget to show up in court tomorrow or Novak will have your ass" Cragen warns.

Elliot thanked his captain, walked to his chair, grabbed his coat and quickly left, without a glance at Danni. As he drove to Olivia's apartment, Elliot had to repress the urge to turn his portative siren on. "Calm down Elliot. She won't be there. She _can't_ be…" Elliot kept telling himself. He couldn't afford too much hope. If he lets himself hope only to find out he imagined all of it, he's pretty sure he's gonna lose it. « _I got the traitor! I killed the fucking cop_ ». Elliot heard this voice over and over in his head. He stopped the car, right in front of her building. He was double parking but couldn't care less. He ran out of the car and climbed the steps two at a time, too impatient to wait for the slow elevator. He only stopped running when he was in front of Olivia's door. He stopped there for a moment to catch his breath, raised a shaking hand, closed his eyes, and knocked at the door. "She's not there. She's not gonna answer" he kept telling himself… _Click_.


	8. Chapter 8 - Confrontation

**Olivia's apartment**

When Olivia heard the knock at her door, she already knew who this could be. She was back in New York for less than 2 hours and saw no one yet, except him. When she opened the door, she found Elliot, as confused as when she saw him earlier in the bullpen.

"Hey" she simply said.

Elliot didn't answer straight back. He stared at her a few seconds and stated "You're really here".

"I'm here" Olivia nodded. She opened the door a little more and stepped aside to let him in. "Have a seat. You look like you just saw a ghost."

But Elliot didn't move from her threshold. "I thought you were dead" he said, his voice threatening to break.

"What?" Olivia blinked, confused.

"I thought you were dead" Elliot repeated, louder. "I heard it on the news".

Olivia couldn't believe him. She had no idea. She felt guilty for not calling right after her mission was over. She wanted to but still had to help the feds booking the people she had lived with for more than two months. The people who did so much damage. Who killed other people, including some of their own. The people who killed her friend. Olivia chased that thought away as she started to feel a pressure in her chest. She cleared her throat, said "Come in" and made her way back to her apartment. Elliot followed her inside, closed the door behind him and rested against it. Olivia stood there, not knowing what to say so she crossed her arms and waited for Elliot to say something.

"What happened to you?" Elliot asked, gesturing at her injuries.

Olivia sighed, walked to her kitchen and grabbed a glass. "Long story" she said as she poured herself a glass of whiskey.

"I bet it is" Elliot retorted, not hiding his annoyance.

Olivia shrugged, took a sip and asked "You want some?"

Elliot couldn't believe her. No apologies. No explanation. No nothing. « I got the traitor! I killed the fucking cop » Elliot quoted.

"What was that?" Olivia asked.

"After I got your letter I kept the news on 24/7. It drove Munch crazy but I did it anyway. I saw on the breaking news there was an explosion and 29 people died. Then this man shows up and shouts that he killed a cop! What did you expect me to think?!" Elliot yelled, not able to keep his calm anymore.

"I didn't know he said that…" Olivia said, putting her glass down. "It was Dereck" she added, rolling her eyes. "We despise each other, but he didn't kill me as you can see. Actually, I didn't know, but there was another undercover cop there. Well, not exactly a cop, he was a fed. I don't know how his cover blew up, but Dereck found out and killed him. That night…" Olivia paused as she felt her chest tighten again. "It was like a nightmare. Everything went so wrong. The smoke, the blood… and Hope". Olivia was now overwhelmed by the painful memories. She felt a single tear rolling down her cheek, and bit her lip.

One second, and Elliot was right in front of her. He was so close that his feet were touching hers. "Hey" he said, wiping her tear away. "You're here now. And you're ok." He gave another look at her injuries and added "almost".

Olivia's eyes met Elliot's and she saw it. Relief. Tenderness. Pure care. Lo…, no. She stepped back as Elliot's hand was still on her cheek and went back to her whiskey.

"Olivia what happened there?" Olivia shook her head, not wanting to talk about it. But Elliot was as stubborn as Olivia – if not more – and would not let her shut him out. "Olivia, I spent the last 61 days worrying about you. I had no idea where you were or if you were safe. When I found the bills, I knew that somehow, somewhere, you were in danger and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it! Ever since I saw the news last week, I couldn't close my eyes without seeing your dead body bleeding out. I have not been able to do my job correctly because I was too busy beating myself for what happened to you. I kept telling me that if I hadn't been such an asshole to you, you wouldn't have left. And you, you think you can just come back, offer a whiskey and not talk about it? Don't you think I deserve some explanation? You left me! Without a damn goodbye!" Elliot let it all out. It was easier to be angry with Olivia than admitting he missed her so much.

"Come on Elliot, you got over it. I'm pretty sure that blond little thing helped you to move on". Olivia walked passed him to her living room, and looked through the window. She couldn't believe she just said that.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about her hands on you like you're her damn property. I'm talking about her swaggering around, seating at my desk and looking down on me."

Elliot's mouth fell open. "What the hell does it have to do with anything?"

"It doesn't!" Olivia shouted. She was making non-sense and she knew it.

"You're just avoiding the subject" Elliot accused her, narrowing his eyes.

Olivia was absolutely note ready to have this conversation. She would rather flight back to Oregon and face the EDG than having this conversation with Elliot. "Why are you here Elliot? It's the middle of the day, your shift is not over, you should be working right now" Olivia accused him.

"Don't do that Olivia" Elliot warned her, feeling more and more angry every time Olivia opened her mouth. He deserved explanations, apologies. And Olivia kept pushing him away. She came to him in the first place, right? She obviously wanted to talk to him. So why was she shutting him out now?

"Elliot" Olivia pleaded walking past him again. She didn't want to face him anymore. "I'm tired right now. I was in a plane not later than 2 hours ago. I just… I just can't do it right now" she said, her voice threatening to break. She busied herself with the mails that were still on her coffee table, turning her back to Elliot.

"You came to me" Elliot pointed out. "Earlier. You came in the precinct. Obviously, you were ready to talk back then."

"Yes!" Olivia shouted. She threw the envelops with anger and turned around to face Elliot. "But that was before-"

"Before what?" Elliot cut her off. But Olivia couldn't answer that of course. "Before what?" Elliot asked again, louder this time. Olivia froze, not knowing how she could get away with it.

 _Shit._

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 **I'm sorry it took me so long to publish this one. I have a lot going on lately and I don't know how long it will take for me to publish again but hopefully you'll have the next chapter by wednesday**


	9. Chapter 9

**Olivia's apartment**

"Forget it. It wasn't a good idea. I'm too tired for this". Olivia grabbed her suitcase and tried to make her way to her bedroom but Elliot's body was blocking the way. Olivia stood in front of him, waiting for him to move, which he didn't. "Close the door behind you" she added, just in case he didn't get the hint that he was asked to leave. But he still didn't move.

"No" he simply said, his eyes burning with anger.

"You're not gonna move until we talk, are you?" Olivia asked, annoyed. Elliot nodded. Olivia let go of her suitcase in frustration and turned abruptly, which only caused her to whimper in pain. She was in such a mood that she had totally forgotten about her injuries.

"Liv, what's wrong?" Elliot asked concerned, using her nickname for the first time – which didn't go unnoticed by Olivia. He walked in front of her and saw that she was holding her stomach with her unharmed arm. Her lips were pressed together, like she was trying to hold back another whimper.

"I'm fine, I made a bad move. I just… forgot". Olivia slowly walked back to her living room and slumped into her couch.

"Let me see". Elliot kneeled next to her and gently raised her sweater up, not waiting for her permission. Olivia was surprised by his initiative but let him, since she was wearing a tank top under it. "Take it off" Elliot said in a low voice – or did Olivia just imagine it? – when he saw the tank top.

"Wh-what?" Olivia stammered.

"Your sweater. Take it off, so that I can see your injuries"

"Elliot, no" Olivia protested as she tried to lower the sweater. But Elliot didn't listen to her and took it off for her, careful not to hurt her arm in the cast. She was too stunned by his behavior to offer any resistance. When Elliot laid eyes on her arms, he frowned and Olivia shifted uncomfortably, knowing too well what he was thinking. Judging by her features, Elliot could have told that the sweater was too large for her, but he hadn't expected it to be _that_ large. During those last two months, Olivia had lost a lot of weight she couldn't afford to lose. But right now, it wasn't what scared Elliot the most. Right now, Elliot was concerned by all those nasty cuts and stitches she had all over her arms. Even under her cast, Elliot could tell she had other cuts. His eyes lowered to the hem of her tank top, and he gently raised it a bit, just like he did before with her sweater.

"Elliot" Olivia pleaded, but he wasn't listening. Olivia shivered as Elliot's fingers ran across the purple and blue skin of her stomach, and his eyes widened in shock. What part of her body wasn't covered with bruises and cuts? Elliot's eyes caught a glimpse at a white tissue and he raised her top a little more. He stopped under her bra and discovered a large bandage under her left breast.

"Damn, Liv, what happened to you?" Elliot asked staring at her bandage.

"I uhm…" Olivia cleared her throat. "I was shot. Amongst other things" Olivia admitted.

Elliot's head popped at her last statement. "What other things?" he almost yelled.

"Oh no! Not that thing! I mean… not what you're thinking." Olivia quickly cleared out. "I was beaten, shot, I almost exploded, I mean literally exploded, but I wasn't raped El. Just relax."

Elliot got back on his feet, too agitated to stay still and started to pace up and down. "Oh well that's great. You obviously went through hell and almost died, but you weren't raped, so I can relax. Sure."

"Ok that was a stupid thing to say" Olivia admitted. She shifted on the couch to take a seating position. "But I'm alive, so it's not that bad, considering that this morning you were convinced I was dead."

"That's true". Elliot walked to the kitchen and decided that he needed a drink after all. He reached for a glass and poured whiskey in it. He did the same with Olivia's glass and gave it to her.

"Thanks". She took a sip and put it on the table as Elliot sat next to her. She sighted heavily, aware that sooner or later, she would have to give him some semblance of explanations.

"So?" Elliot asked.

Olivia didn't need to ask. She knew what Elliot wanted from her. "I don't know where to start".

"The beginning"


	10. Chapter 10 - No turning back

**WARNING : This chapter contains some unpleasant sexual mentions (no rape though)**

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 **Wednesday, November 3 – Jeff's office, Medford, Oregon**

 _Relax. A few hours to go, and this is all over_. Olivia told herself one hour before the big final.

"You know Pers" Jeff almost whispered, his hands on her waist "after all this is over, I'm gonna miss you".

Olivia smiled at him. "I'm gonna miss you too" she lied to her teeth. Her only wish was to get away from here, as fast as possible.

Jeff placed a gentle kiss on her cheek and Olivia fought the urge to step back. She had enough of playing this game. Seducing Jeff to get information, let him kiss her every once in a while to let him think she was all his. Somehow, she felt tonight was different. Jeff was as charming as always, but Olivia saw something in his eyes that made her want to run away. But tonight amongst every nights, she couldn't.

"Yeah" Jeff chuckled stepping back and sitting at the edge of his desk. "Don't tell your boyfriend though".

Olivia swallowed, and offered him a shy smile "I better not".

"You know who's not gonna miss you?" Jeff asked, crossing his arms, a grin on his face.

"Who?"

"Dereck". Olivia rolled her eyes, which didn't go unnoticed by Jeff. "I know, I know… he keeps saying I shouldn't trust you. He thinks I shouldn't bring you tonight".

"And what do you think?" Olivia asks, walking toward him, and offering a seducing smile to chase away any doubt he could have.

Jeff shook his head and laughed. "I think you're a seductress" he answered before pulling her towards him and crashing his lips on hers. Olivia clenched her fist and relaxed immediately. _Relax. A few hours to go, and this is all over_. "But I told him you were dedicated to our cause" he continued. He removed a tangle from her face to place it behind her ear. "Just because you kept your boyfriend secret doesn't mean you're gonna screw up the operation, right?"

Olivia had to admit she was impressed by Jeff's ability to always be charming and threatening at the same time. "Of course not" she answered as confident as possible. Her heart was pounding in her chest, dreading what would come next.

Jeff adjusted himself on his desk and pulled Olivia towards him again, her body flushed against him. "You know" he whispered in her ear before gently biting her lobe "I'm _really_ gonna miss you". Olivia swallowed hard. She was sure he could feel her heart pounding against his chest, and prayed her nervousness would be mistaken with arousal, as his fingers were toying at the hem of her shirt. She knew what he wanted now. What he was asking for. Before she had time to react, Jeff's lips were on hers again, his tongue seeking for entrance, and his cold right hand was massaging her ass under her panties.

Olivia freaked out and jumped back. "I have a boyfriend" she said firmly, trying to hide the shaking of her voice.

"Whatever happens between these walls, doesn't get out of here, right?". She knew what he was implying. Secrets. Plots. Even sex. He was testing her loyalty. She was trapped. If she stepped back now, he wouldn't trust her for the big final. Sadly, she couldn't afford to give up now. She went too far, sacrificed too much to put an end to this operation. But she couldn't sleep with this criminal. This was against the rules, and she didn't want it anyway. She couldn't let him dispose of her like that. She had to say something, find a way out, but as those past weeks took away most of her energy, she was running out of options and stamina. She had to make a quick decision…

She slowly walked to him, kissed him, and placed her shaking hands on his belt. There was no turning back. _Relax. A few hours to go, and this is all over_.

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Jeff threw the condom away, a huge grin on his face as Olivia got dressed. He gave her one last kiss before heading to the door. "You should get ready. We leave in half an hour".

Olivia forced a smile but couldn't utter a word, the enormity of what just happened hitting her. She suddenly felt sick and wanted to crawl out of her skin. She left Jeff's office and met Dereck in the corridor. She ran past him, locked herself in the bathroom, and threw up in the sink. She opened the tap and let the water flow as much to clean her mess as to cover her muffled sobs. But even after emptying the content of her stomach, she still felt nauseous. She took a depp breath and gave her heart some time to slow its pace. She then wiped her mouth with the back of her shaking hand, looked up and gave a furious look at this sick, dirty, useless, disgusting, weak woman staring back at her. She turned her back as she couldn't stand the sight of her reflection anymore. She couldn't believe she had let it happen… She, Olivia Benson, special victims unit detective, slept with a criminal. It would probably cost her her job. She ruined her career over one undercover operation. But she had no time to cry on her own misery. She poured fresh water on her face, arranged her clothes, and left the bathroom to join the others on the dormitory. She packed the few items she carried with her, lost in her thoughts and jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey Persephone" Hope greeted her. Olivia smiled at her but said nothing as she picked an outfit in her bag and closed it. "Is everything alright? I haven't seen you in a while. Where have you been?" her friend inquired.

"I'm not feeling well" Olivia answered more coldly than she intended. "Bad time of the month" she lied.

"Oh…" Hope gave her a compassionate smile. "I have an herbal infusion that can help you if you want" she offered.

"Nah, thanks. I need to get ready, we're leaving soon… I guess I'm just a little nervous".

"Yeah, me too. I can't believe this is our last action". Hope eyes were glittering with emotion. "This is our last night together…" her voice broke.

"Yeah…" Olivia looked into Hope's eyes and she felt a pinch on her chest. There was so many things she wanted to tell her. During the past weeks, Hope grew on her and she was now very attached to the young woman. She felt like she owed her the truth. She also wanted to tell her to run as fast and as far away as possible. She knew many people would be arrested tonight and she felt like she was betraying her friend. She opened her mouth but stopped on her track. She already screwed up once tonight. Instead, she hugged her tight and whispered "Take care of you…". Then she left the room, holding back tears. She went back to the bathroom, changed her outfit, threw away the one she was wearing while Jeff was on her, and looked at her pale reflection. "It's time".


	11. Chapter 11 - The big final

**Wednesday, November 3 – Medtex headquarters, Medford, Oregon**

Olivia felt more and more nervous every step that got her closer to their target and she didn't know if her body was trembling and the tip or her fingers were burning because of the cold wind of November or the anxiety. All the way from their hangar to Medtex headquarters had been quiet and one could tell the tension was palpable. Olivia kept peeking around her, looking for her team and when the group stopped in front of Medtex building, she couldn't locate them in the dark night. She stood on tiptoe to see above the shoulder of the man in front of her when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Come here" she heard. She recognized Angela's voice and followed her in the crowd. Someone whispered orders somewhere ahead and the EDG members slowly dispersed. Olivia frowned with surprise when she saw Dereck turning left behind the building with Hope and her group. She decided to follow him but Angela held her back. "This way" she said, heading to the nearest corner where Jeff was waiting.

"You guys know what to do right?" Jeff asked. The women didn't answer but Olivia nodded gravely and Angela's eyes were filled with determination so Jeff clapped his hands. "Let's go."

"Wasn't Dereck supposed to be with us?" Olivia asked worried about the vision she had a few seconds before. Even if Dereck made her extremely uneasy, she wanted to keep an eye on him. She knew how unpredictable he was and feared he would resist his arrest. Plus, she knew he carried a gun and was trigger-happy. "Where is he?"

"The plan has changed. I need him somewhere else now" Jeff eluded. _That's not good_ Olivia thought. "T-Bone is gonna take his place" Jeff added. _Shit_. Olivia turned around and saw T-Bone walking towards them. "Follow me".

Without another word, the small team entered the building. Chen who had been working all night as Andrew Harper's bodyguard escorted them to the president's office. On the way, Olivia looked through some open offices and noticed that a few employees were still working. That wasn't part of the plan. The building was supposed to be empty except for Mr. Harper and Chen. She exchanged a silent glare with T-Bone who looked just as confused as she was, but he just shrugged and Olivia knew her friend was lost. They were supposed to make the building explode, but T-Bone had _shrugged_ at the thought of those innocent employees' death. After a few more minutes, the team stopped in front of a wooden door with the name "Andrew Harper" engraved in gold letters. Chen gripped the door handle, Jeff on his wheels, and Angela took a deep breath before walking behind Jeff who was supposed to be her bodyguard. Olivia stood there, not knowing what to do, but before Chen opened the door, he told her "the women's bathrooms are on the left of this corridor. You stay there until I come back and pick you up".

Olivia nodded and followed the way Chen just showed her. She pushed the door open and met a woman who was washing her hands. The woman looked up and smiled politely at her. Olivia smiled back and stood in front of a mirror, pretending to fix her hair. "Long day uh?" the woman asked.

"You could say that" Olivia answered calmly.

"I missed my wedding anniversary tonight" the woman sighed. "Harper wants all the reports ready for the end of the week. Even if we worked 30 hours a day it wouldn't be enough. I don't know when he will understand that."

"Harper only hears what he wants to" Olivia scoffed like she knew exactly what this woman meant. "Do you know how many people are working tonight?"

"Well with the technicians in the labs and everybody here and the layers' meeting downstairs… who knows? About 70 maybe?".

"Maybe you should go home and enjoy your anniversary" Olivia tried to convince her. "One night won't make a difference. We all know that. Maybe we should all leave. The hell with Harper"

"Ha!" the woman scoffed after drying her hands. "If only... Goodnight" she said before leaving Olivia alone in the bathroom. Olivia locked herself in a cabin and opened the bag that carried all the stuff she needed to make fake but convincing explosives. She opened one box full of powder, plunged her hand inside and pulled out the gun Porter gave her earlier when they established the plan. But of course the plan was screwed now. She had to warn him. The feds just couldn't send a squad to arrest them when there were so many civilians inside. Problem was, Olivia had no way to contact Porter now. She had to arrest Jeff, Chen, Angela and T-Bone all by herself, use Harper's phone, and pray that Porter's squad wouldn't be inside the building already. It was simply impossible. Olivia hid the gun under her clothes and was about to leave her cabin when she heard the door of the bathroom opening.

"Persephone?" Chen asked. "You in there?"

"Coming" Olivia answered. They both left the bathroom and ran to Harper's office. Olivia quickly scanned the room and saw no sign of Jeff or Harper in the room, but what she did saw was a small trail of blood on the carpet.

"We don't have much time" T-Bone pressed her.

Olivia dropped her bag on the circle table in the middle of the room and started to empty it. "What happened here?" she asked as she started to make her fake explosives.

"Jeff aimed his gun at Harper and asked him to quietly sit on the floor but Harper didn't call his bluff. There was a fight. Hurry up" Angela pressed her as Olivia was finishing the first set of explosives.

"You put this one here, and this one over there. And those two uh… right here" Olivia ordered T-Bone and Angela as she looked at the crushed phones on the floor. Now she had no way to contact Porter. "Where are they now?" she asked.

"Over there" T-Bone headed to a metal door. "I bet this is where he takes care of the sensitive business" he scoffed.

Olivia let go of her unfinished explosives and walked to the metal door. "Hey Pers, what are you doing? Come back here, we're not done yet!" T-Bone called her as Olivia pushed the door and closed it behind her. She was now in a very small room that looked more like a bunker. Jeff was standing there, his gun pointed to Harper's direction. His hand was trembling and his face was distorted with anger. As for Harper, the man was whimpering on the ground in a pool of blood, a hole in his left leg. Olivia got around Jeff whose body was blocking the view and she held back an exclamation when she saw Harper's distorted and bleeding face. He looked like a piece of meat.

"WHERE'S THE MONEY?" Jeff shouted.

Harper mumble something that looked like "no money" and Jeff fired next to Harper's other leg. The bullet ricocheted on the steel and Olivia pressed herself against the wall to avoid it. "What are you doing Jeff?!" she shouted.

Jeff looked toward Olivia like he just realized she was there. He looked confused for a second but quickly recovered and turned his attention back to Harper. "What do you think I am doing to this son of a bitch?"

"This isn't supposed to be about money Jeff" she scolded. "You hurt him pretty bad already. Let's go".

"Not yet" Jeff said as he aimed at Harper.

"I saw a safe" Olivia lied before Jeff pulled the trigger.

"Where?"

"The other side."

Jeff took a few seconds to think about it and eventually lowered his gun. Olivia opened the door for him as Jeff grabbed Harper's ankles to drag him back in the main office. Olivia took advantage of the situation and kicked Jeff in the back, making him fall headfirst on the ground. She snatched his gun and threw it across the room, then tried to step back but Jeff grabbed her leg, making her lose her balance and she fall on her ass. She tried to get up but Jeff was quick and jumped on her before she was back on her feet. They started to fight, sending kicks and punches until Olivia's fist hit Jeff's nose making him fall on his back. Out of breath, Olivia got up panting, her body aching. She grasped her gun with both hands and aimed at Jeff. "Hands up" she ordered before whipping the blood off her mouth.

"Persephone what are you doing?!" Angela exclaimed horrified.

"I won't let him kill him. That's not what we're here for. We placed enough explosives, and now we need to leave before we all blow up" Olivia said. She still needed to keep her cover until the operation was over.

"Where did you get that gun?" Jeff asked as he got back to his feet and raised his hands.

"That's my gun. I always keep it with me" Olivia lied. Jeff gave a quick look at T-Bone and gave him a silent signal.

"No!" Olivia cried. But before she had time to react, T-Bone had a gun pointed on her.

"Don't be stupid Pers" he said. "I don't want to hurt you".

"Look at her" Jeff spat. "She chose his side" he said gesturing at Harper. "She betrayed us. Dereck was right. She's not one of us. She's never been". T-Bone made a step toward her and Olivia made a step back and aimed at him. T-Bone had his finger on the trigger and was about to shoot but suddenly, the floor began to shake. Horrified, Olivia realized it was due to an explosion on a lower floor. This was not supposed to happen. Hope's team was supposed to wait until they all evacuated. What the hell was going on? Olivia didn't take time to figure it out, and stormed out of the room as fast as her injured body allowed her. On the hallway, she turned back and noticed Chen was gone. A second explosion made the building shake, harder this time and she fell on the floor. She heard gunshots at her direction, quickly went back to her feet and ran to the nearest staircase. She never stopped running until she reached the second floor and a third explosion made a piece of ceiling fall in the stairs, blocking the way. The building was falling apart. She had to find another way out. She heard footsteps above her and knew her attackers were close. She opened the door to the second floor and froze. The floor was filled with smoke and she could feel the heat of a fire. She couldn't see ten feet away but she didn't have much of a choice. She covered her mouth and nose with her arm and blindly crossed the room, always walking along the wall. At some point, she heard the door opening and ran blindly, which caused her to collide with a wall and whimper.

"She's here!" Jeff shouted, running to her direction. Olivia picked up the pace and reached the door of another staircase. She ran through the stairs, Jeff and T-Bone getting closer and closer. When she reached the first floor, a few pieces of ceiling fell on her head and stunned her. Olivia starting to cough hard as her lungs were filling with dust and she heard footsteps on her back. She turned around and saw Jeff standing twenty feet behind her. A shot was fired and she felt a vivid pain on her ribs. She gasped, covered the wound with her hand to restrain the bleeding and kept running, much slower than earlier. But fortunately, the smoke was so thick that Jeff and T-Bone could barely see her. She slipped between broken furniture and crossed a room she recognized to finally end up in a large open space. She recognized this place. She had walked through this room earlier when they all entered the building, before the apocalypse. She knew the front door was close, somewhere, even if she couldn't see it with the smoke. Suddenly she heard a loud cough and someone was calling her name.

"Persephone ! Run!" Olivia saw her friend Hope rushing to her.

"Hope watch out! Go away!" Olivia shouted as the shots were raining behind her. But Hope didn't listen to her and kept running towards her. "Noooo!" Olivia cried as she saw Hope's body fall on the floor. She rushed to her friend's side, totally forgetting she was in a falling building, totally forgetting she was shot too, totally forgetting her attackers were on her heels. She dropped to the floor and grabbed Hope's dead body, pressing it against her to protect her from the pieces of ceiling that were still falling. "Come on Hope, open your eyes! Hold on, you can do it, come on!" Olivia shook her. But Hope's limp body didn't respond. Olivia started crying like she never cried before. Her friend just took a bullet that was aiming her. She closed her eyes, holding Hope's body tight like she was keeping her alive. She couldn't let her go. Suddenly, something teared her from Hope's body and her back hit the ground. She felt a heavy weight on top of her and a hand on her neck, trying to choke her. Her ears were ringing, but she could discern T-Bone's voice.

"This is all your fault! You killed her! You bitch! You killed her!" she felt waves of pain hitting her, one after the other, on her face, on her stomach, on her limbs. She had killed Hope, and now T-Bone was killing her. She didn't even try to fight back. _Relax, a few seconds to go, and this is all over_ , she though as T-Bone's strong grip on her neck was stopping her breathing. Her vision blurred and just when she was about to pass out, Jeff grabbed T-Bone by the arm.

"Let's get out of here. She's dead anyway". T-Bone released his grip, got up and gave her one last kick in the stomach before leaving the building. Olivia gasped for air, holding her stomach and stood there, on the ground. Jeff was right. She was dead anyway. She was going to die far from her home, far from her friends. She would never say goodbye to Elliot. Suddenly, she heard Elliot's voice in her head. _This is not you Liv. You can't give up!_ he scolded. And Olivia thought he was right. She rolled on her stomach with a scream of pain and started to crawl. When she felt wind on her face, she knew which way was the door. She managed to get on her fours and crawl a little more when another bomb exploded somewhere near. The blast of the explosion threw her a few feet away and she violently hit the ground, a few feet from the front door. Through her blurry vision and ringing ears, she could see and hear the sirens outside. But before she had time to even try to get up, the remaining of the building collapsed and buried her under the rubble.

 **SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU-SVU**

 **... ok, maybe I went too far with the drama xD but in my head it didn't sound that bad lol**


	12. Chapter 12 - New territory

**Olivia's apartment**

Olivia was avoiding Elliot's mortified gaze as she told him almost everything about what happened, avoiding mentioning Jeff as much as possible. When she was done talking, she felt tired, empty, and her mouth was dry. How long did it take for her to relate more than two months of undercover operations?

Elliot remained silent for a moment, which gave Olivia a little rest. "What are you holding back?" he finally asked.

"Nothing" she said, still avoiding his glare. But she couldn't lie to him. She knew better. She leaned forward to grab her glass on the coffee table and winced.

"I know you're lying Liv. This all looks quite easy to me. I mean, not the big final obviously. But before-"

"Easy?" Oliva spat with a killing glare. "I've been undercover for two months Elliot. At the other end of the country. Living with strangers, doing things that…" she shook her head and jumped of the couch. "It was everything but easy!"

"What kind of things?" Elliot asked.

"I told you already!" Olivia was losing her patience. She didn't want to talk about it anymore. She walked to her fridge and filled her glass. "The sittings, the protests, and the final. If you think it's just about holding placards and wait you're wrong!" she added resting against the counter.

"I know you've not been sitting around and twiddling your thumbs all along. What I don't get is how you managed to end up in this so-called elite team that almost got you killed."

"I don't know, it just happened. Persephone James had quite a reputation. And I proved myself over the weeks" Olivia said, hunted by the last proof of loyalty she had to give Jeff. But Elliot was staring at her, not buying her shit. Olivia rolled her eyes in frustration. "What do you want me to tell you?"

"The truth" he simply replied. Olivia wasn't ready for that. She shivered and sighed heavily, remembering the feeling of Jeff's body over her. At some point, she squeezed the glass she was still holding so hard that it broke under the pressure, spilling whiskey on the floor. Olivia looked at the crushed glass on her hand and started laughing hysterically.

"You're ok?" Elliot asked as he got up and removed the remaining pieces in Olivia's hand.

"Sure" she answered, still laughing. "This is all perfect. Brilliant!" She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her injured hand.

"You're bleeding Liv" Elliot admonished her as he picked up the pieces on the floor. "What's so funny about it?"

Olivia started to pace in her kitchen. "My right hand was about the only unharmed part of my body as you could see. Now I'm definitely useless"

"Careful". Without a warning, Elliot picked her up by the waist and sat her on the counter. Olivia let him and Elliot stood there, a little longer than necessary. Then without allowing them to do so, his hands traveled a little downward and settled on her hips. This was new territory. This was dangerous. This was wrong. But this felt right. Elliot opened and closed his mouth a couple times, like he was trying to say something, but no word left his mouth. He took a step forward, reducing the already way too small distance between them and Olivia slightly spread her legs, allowing him closer. Elliot felt Olivia's knees brushing against his hips and blinked, surprised. Olivia froze at the contact, and stared at him, confused. _What is he doing? What are we doing?_

Elliot abruptly broke away and went back to his task. "Where is the mop?" he asked, killing their moment.

"Wh-what?" Olivia stuttered, jolting out of her reverie.

"The mop" Elliot repeated. "You spilled whiskey everywhere".

"Yeah, and whose fault is it?" Olivia spat, now just as annoyed as five minutes ago.

Elliot rolled his eyes. Ever since Olivia opened the door, she had been nothing but defiant. He finally remembered why the only thing they did before she left was fighting. "The mop" he asked again, not hiding his annoyance.

"The closet in the entrance". Olivia watched Elliot as he cleaned her floor, an upset look on his face. Ever since she let him in, he had been nothing but inquisitive towards her. She finally remembered why the only thing they did before she left was fighting. Minutes passed in a total silence, and when the floor was finally dry, Elliot picked her up again and gently put her on her feet. "Thanks".

"Don't mention it". Elliot unwrapped her hand and checked on her cut. "It's not deep. It already stopped bleeding. Does it hurt?"

"No, it's fine".

"Do you have antiseptics?"

"Yeah, in the bathroom. But I'm fine, you don't have to-" She didn't have time to finish her sentence that Elliot was already snooping in her bathroom, looking for antiseptics. When he came back with the bottle and cotton, Olivia was on her couch, hand extended waiting for him.

"Here you go". Elliot gently cleaned the dry blood and Olivia winced as she felt the sting in her cut. Elliot looked closely at her as she was zoning out. The fire that ignited her eyes a few minutes ago was gone. Dark circles were digging her pale and hollowed face and once again, Elliot was struck by how thin she was.

"You look tired. When was the last time you slept? Or ate?"

"Elliot, don't start again" Olivia pleaded.

"Ok, ok" Elliot raised his hands in surrender and sat next to her.

Olivia sight heavily and ran her hand through her curly hair. "I'm so tired… What time is it?"

"Seven" Elliot answered after checking his cellphone. He frowned as he noticed 4 missing calls from Kathy. When he felt weight on his shoulder, he turned his head toward Olivia and saw she was asleep. He smiled, leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes. God, how he had missed her.


	13. Chapter 13 - Caring partner

_"_ _Persephone ! Run!"_

 _"_ _Hope watch out! Nooo! Come on Hope, open your eyes! Hold on, you can do it, come on!"_

 _"_ _This is all your fault! You killed her!"_

"HOPE!" Olivia cried as she woke up with a start. For a few seconds, she had no idea where she was. She freaked out as she felt strong hands on her shoulders, fearing T-Bone would start beating her again for Hope's death.

"Shhh, Liv it's ok" Elliot tried to soothe her. "You had a bad a dream". When Olivia met his eyes, she was still agitated, like she didn't recognize him. "It's me. Elliot. Calm down".

Olivia slowly went back to reality and her breathing slowed down. "What happened?"

"You fell asleep and had a bad dream".

"More like a bad memory actually" Olivia smiled weakly.

Elliot took her hand and looked at her straight in the eyes. "Liv listen to me. I know you don't feel like it, but what happened to her was not your fault. You didn't pull the trigger."

"If I took a bullet that was meant to kill you, you wouldn't feel this way. You would blame yourself. You know I'm right."

Elliot remained silent. Indeed, she was right. He leaned back on the couch and Olivia did the same. A silence fell and Elliot started to feel powerless. His best friend was in pain, both physically and emotionally and he had no idea what to do about it. None of them said anything for quite a while until Elliot spoke.

"Can I draw on your cast?" he asked to lighten the mood.

Olivia raised an eyebrow and smiled at Elliot's playful smile. She chuckled and handed him a pen. "Have fun".

Elliot sat closer to her and held the cast in place on his lap. "Close your eyes" he ordered, a grin plastered on his face.

Olivia wondered what was on his mind but did as she was told. She closed her eyes and waited for Elliot to achieve his masterpiece. As the minutes passed Olivia sunk more and more on her couch. For the first time since she was back in New York, she felt good in Elliot's presence. No discomfort, no hate, no resentment. She just enjoyed the peace and Elliot's proximity. She noted that Elliot still wore the same after shave and smiled. Some things never change.

"All done" Elliot said after a few more minutes. He released her arm and Olivia opened her eyes. She laughed at Elliot's drawing that was basically a stick woman holding a gun and shouting "NYPD !"

"That's the best you can do? A four-year-old could do better" she laughed.

"Hey don't make fun of me! It took me ten minutes, I applied myself."

"You're right…. After all, Picasso is famous for painting a distorted face. You should sign it". She extended her arm and Elliot wrote something that she couldn't see but didn't look like his signature. When she got her arm back, she read "From your caring partner" and she tensed. Her smile faded and her face darkened. Elliot immediately saw it and gave her an inquisitive look. She looked away and asked "When was this… when was she partnered with you"?

Elliot sighed. "Mid October"

Olivia shook her head, still not looking at him. "What's her name?"

"Dani. Dani Beck". Olivia shook her head again. She had many questions on her mind but wasn't sure how much she wanted to know so she just said nothing.

"She's just a temp Liv" Elliot tried to reassure her.

"She looked quite cozy at my desk." Olivia pointed out. "And… with you" she added faintly as she remembered Dani's hands on his chest. Elliot said nothing, not knowing where she was going with this. "You get along well" Olivia finally let out.

"She's my partner" he answered. When Olivia frowned, he added "I mean-"

"I know what you mean" she cut him curtly.

"She's supposed to have my back so… yeah". Elliot cleared his throat and Olivia was still looking away. "We kissed" Elliot finally admitted. He didn't know why, but he felt like he had betrayed her and owed her the truth.

Olivia blinked as her eyes started to sting. "That's not my business" she said, trying to sound indifferent.

"She helped me" Elliot tried to explain.

Olivia snorted. "Sure". She tried to get up but Elliot grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Look… I was in a bad place ok?" Olivia looked at him straight in the eyes and he knew he had her full attention. He sighed heavily. "When I heard the news... I couldn't do my job correctly. Cragen tried to send me home more than once but I wouldn't listen. I tried to contact the FBI but they never wanted to confirm or disprove your death. I hit the bottom… I did shit all week and Dani covered my ass. She tried to help me, to support me. She even picked me up at Maloney's when I was passed out and drove my drunk ass home. She had an eye on me all week. You saw her today, she was trying to help me."

"She thought I was a victim" Olivia scoffed.

"Is that why you left?" Elliot inquired.

Olivia didn't answer right away. Was that why she left? "I'm not a victim" she said firmly.

"But you can easily understand why she thought so" Elliot gestured at her injuries.

Olivia shrugged. "I'm glad we talked but I'm really tired. It's been a long day… Actually, it's been a long month". She got up and this time Elliot didn't hold her back. She walked to her abandoned suitcase but before she could reach the handle, Elliot grabbed it and wheeled it to her bedroom. Olivia grinned and rolled her eyes at his gallantry but said nothing.

When Elliot reappeared in her living room, Olivia was opening the door. Elliot walked past her as she kept the door open for him, but before crossing the threshold, he abruptly turned around and pulled her onto a tight hug. Olivia froze at first and finally sunk onto his strong arms. "I'm really glad you're back" he said.

"Me too".

Elliot reluctantly let her go, and placed a soft kiss on her forehead before leaving her apartment.

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 **That's it for this story** **:)** **I might update later, or not, I don't know yet… I have some ideas for future chapters but I don't know how to go there, so I'll think about it and decide if it's worth writing (and reading) it or not.**

 **Thank you very much for reading and for your nice reviews, you're adorable ^^**


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